


After You, Continue

by viraseii



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Garrison Klance, I gave up, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Slow Burn, or it was supposed to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 08:51:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14931113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viraseii/pseuds/viraseii
Summary: Keith is fleeting. Untouchable, unreachable - the tail of a comet, leaving behind just specks and dust of beauty, something you can never catch and hold in your hands. Burning. Bright. A resplendent soul spinning dangerously beneath fiery eyes.Lance is chasing after him since before he can remember, but it's a hopeless cause - Keith is always destined to be alone.





	After You, Continue

**Author's Note:**

> warning you're gonna be disappointed at the end of this
> 
> also oh my god the italics fucked up i hate my life im too lazy to bother

Keith is fleeting. Untouchable, unreachable - the tail of a comet, leaving behind just specks and dust of beauty, something you can never catch and hold in your hands. Burning. Bright. A resplendent soul spinning dangerously beneath fiery eyes. And when you see him - brush him with the tips of your reaching fingers, everything is vibrant, lucid, until - until he’s gone again, burning down worlds at his whim and rebuilding them ten times as effulgent.

Lance has hated that his whole life. Loathed it, but at the same time yearned for it. He’s hounded after Keith since he passed through their shared pre-piloting course with the glorious designation of fighter pilot, class topper. He’s seen Keith. He’s reached toward him and brushed against him and briefly, so briefly, seen the world through the dancing fire of Keith’s life, opportunities and impossibilities and the flicker of something invincibile just under his skin. The scorching power of utter freedom and unwavering fortitude.

It haunts him. Keith petrifies him, devastates his entire life with the force of ten hurricanes at every goodbye. Lance is left chasing after smoke, mist, reflections and shadows of greatness. Compensating for every aching cavern Keith creates with his haphazard brilliance. Keith is a spinning star but he’s unstable - and Lance aches to reach out and balance him, but he only ever gets past the flying sparks before Keith’s leaving again.

* * *

_Lance inhales deeply before opening the door to Iverson’s office. The man is highly respected, turned rough with decades of operating Earth’s largest space exploration initiative. First astronaut to fly to Uranus, Neptune, Io, Europa, Callisto - he’s really second only to Takashi Shirogane._

_And after recent events… he’s really second to no one. Lance’s throat tightens._

_The rap of knuckles on Iverson’s door._

_A responding grunt._

_The silence of Lance turning the handle and pushing the door open with trembling fingers. “Sir, you asked to see me?”_

_Iverson looks up from his monitor. “Take a seat, McClain.”_

_One more inhale before Lance sinks into one of two chairs._

_“You nearly made the cut last year for fighter class,” he starts. “You’ve shown consistency in your grades and effort. Are you still interested in our fighter class program?”_

_“Uh, yeah,” Lance says, clearing his throat with a light flush dusting his cheeks when his voice comes out hoarse. “I’m still interested.” He flattens his palms against the pants of his uniform._

_“Recently our fighter class size has dropped by one, leaving an opening, and you were first on the waitlist. So if you’re interested, then I am offering you this one chance to join up with the rest of our fighter cadets. It’ll take a lot more work, because we’re already five months in and you’ve been studying under the cargo pilot curriculum.” Iverson taps his fingers against the desk as he speaks._

_Lance’s heart stops beating. Keith. It’s because of Keith - Lance is taking his position because of the expulsion. His eyes trace over the bandage over Iverson’s eye. It’s what’s left of Keith, his final goodbye in the form of a generous insult bestowed upon one of the most important members of the Garrison._

_His chest aches._

_“You’ll need to raise your GPA up by at least one,” Iverson continues. “It’s too low right now. I’ll need recommendations from at least two of your current teachers-” He narrows his eyes as Lance winces, because it’s not like he has many stellar relationships with his teachers. “And you may be able to transfer your credits up to the fighter pilot program next semester. You’ll need to move up a level in gym class immediately, should you choose to take this offer.”_

_Is Lance going to do that? Is he going to take over everything Keith left behind, allow Keith to plague the rest of his life even after he made it clear he wanted nothing to do with Lance? He’s already pretty much ruined for anyone else after everything - after experiencing Keith’s passion, his rage, his tenacity, his smile - Keith’s burned into him and if he takes this offer he’s allowing the brand to stay._

_But Lance wants this. Has always wanted this, even since before Keith._

_So as much as it pains him to let Keith’s golden legacy become his home, he nods and says, “I’ll do it.”_

_“Okay,” Iverson says. “I’ll have transfer information emailed to you. I want all your paperwork due back here by the end of the week, teacher recommendations excluded. If you don’t have any questions, you’re free to go.”_

_Lance stands and salutes - nearly with the wrong arm - and turns to the door, feeling euphoric and sick at the same time. He pauses with his fingers grazing the handle and turns back around. “Is Keith…” he wants to ask - ‘Is Keith okay?’ but he knows Iverson won’t have any answer to that. “Never mind,” he mumbles, and takes his leave._

_Lance doesn’t want to go back to his room yet. He doesn’t want to answer all of Hunk’s prying questions, doesn’t want to deal with his puppy dog excitement, his endless cheering - it’s exactly what keeps Lance going on the worst of his days, but he’s finally reached that point were it’s not going to do it for him anymore. He needs to, for once, be alone. He needs to… to think._

_He needs to see Keith. His feet steer him in the direction of Keith’s room numbly - past his own door, continuing until he gets to the singles rooms._

_Keith has been at the Garrison since he was four years old. He’s born and raised as a pilot - he’s known nothing outside of the Arizona stars and the Arizona sand. Lance feels wrong to take this from Keith, to receive the mantle and carry on as Keith leaves everything he’s known for so long behind._

_But he remembers the ice permeating Keith’s voice with those final words._

_So he turns back around and heads to his own room._

_-_

_Keith continues attending the Garrison for another couple weeks. Lance can only assume there’s paperwork to be done - does Keith have anywhere to go? He’s not eighteen yet, so will he be placed in foster care? Will the Garrison even do that much for him?_

_Keith talks to no one. Speaks only when he’s in class because he knows every answer to everything - still sets all the flight simulator records, still keeps his place at the top of the rankings list, still excels in every modum of life like it’s instinct._

_But he talks to no one. And while he’s always been reserved, Lance has never seen him like this - alone at meals for just five minutes before he leaves, first to enter and first to exit classes, walking straight backed through the halls not even bothering to apologize to whoever he bumps into. No bag, no books, no papers - not a care in the world. And Lance can recognize the tautness in his shoulders._

_It’s loss._

_Keith is grieving, and he’s doing it with a silent fuck you to conversation and rules, he’s doing it with quiet excellence like he has something to prove and nothing to lose. It leaves Lance’s chest aching and wounded, his flesh hurting with longing, his fingers clawing at the walls around the disintegrating boy that walks in front of him and never looks back. It’s in the way he answers everything right but shows no joy in it. In the way he aces the simulator and doesn’t even blink. Works harder than everyone in gym and barely breaks a sweat. It’s as if watching Keith’s lack of visible emotion has channelled all the hurt and anger of Shiro’s disappearance and Keith’s expulsion straight to Lance’s heart._

__God, who are you, Keith Kogane, he thinks. __

__

-

He finds himself in front of Keith’s door again. The last time he stepped inside he was forced out with a threat, but - but Keith’s alone, he’s shut off and Lance can’t keep himself away, can’t accept Keith’s defeat even when it means Lance has won, can’t take any pride in replacing Keith as fighter pilot. It feels like just as he reaches Keith’s level, Keith moves away, remains just as unreachable.

He knocks.

There’s no answer.

He inhales. Opens the door. Prepares himself for Keith’s heat, his red-hot anger, because anything is better than the shadow of a flame Lance has been watching since Keith sent him away.

He finds the room empty. Lance shuts the door quietly behind him, eyes grating over the bare bed, the bare walls, the bare dresser, the open blinds.

Keith is gone.

At first it’s just shock - and then - and then Lance’s eyebrows dip closer together, his chest tightens, his fists clench.

If Keith didn’t say goodbye, then Lance decides firmly right then and there - he’s not going to miss Keith. He’s not.

* * *

_Lance isn’t paying attention to whatever it is they’re talking about right now. Kolivan is austere as ever, stone face and stone eyes, all business and business and he misses Keith’s smile. Keith’s much the same, eyes on Shiro through the screen, stone - dark, solid, unwavering. Still the stubborn immovability he always wears, amplified by the purple darkness that shrouds him._

He’s so far, _Lance thinks. They were so much closer - Keith trusted him, liked him, talked to him - and then he left again. No matter how many times Lance catches up to Keith, he’s always_ leaving. _Lance focuses on those solid purple eyes, burning, always burning. When was the last time they were on him?_

__

Lance doesn’t get it, that’s the thing. He doesn’t understand why Keith has to leave. He - well, he understands. But he doesn’t understand the other part of it - why Keith doesn’t seem to care. Why Lance is left floundering behind in Keith’s old lion, old footsteps, and yet Keith’s forging on confident as ever, with ease and grace, unflinching.

__

It’s frustrating. Embittering how he’s always one step ahead of Lance, how he never looks back or offers a hand, like they can never be on the same plane. Agonizing how Lance just keeps trying anyway, keeps pursuing Keith’s vanishing smiles and skill. Keeps following Keith, and Keith just keeps going, and it’s like it’s never going to end.

__

Until eventually, Lance is going to have to stop following. Eventually he’s going to tire because Keith is - Keith is so much _more_ than Lance, always has been, and eventually he’ll reach a point Lance will never be able to catch up to.

__

And that terrifies Lance. Angers him. Humbes him, invigorates him.

__

Keith’s eyes don’t even flicker to Lance once. The transmission ends and the afterimage of Keith’s luminous face is burned into Lance’s retina, focused and undistracted. “I wasn’t listening,” he says when Allura looks at him expectantly, presumably after having asked him a question.

__

He doesn’t get it.

__

He can’t seem to move on - can’t seem to ease into their new team without Keith there. It’s like the Garrison all over again - where Keith used to be there’s now a hole, a crevice, and Lance can’t possibly fill it. There’s a void inside Lance and it’s Keith’s damn fault. But Keith’s gone. And Lance is left.

__

_Alone._

* * *

_There’s shouting. Lance cranes his neck before eventually pushing his chair back and standing - in the hallway. Hunk grabs his hand and weaves through the crowd at the cafeteria entrance, pushing to get a closer view._

_“There’s no way that ship crashed due to pilot error! There’s something you aren’t telling us, and I need to know what’s going on.” Lance knows that voice. That passion. That anger - he knows it really, really well._

_“Cadet,” and that’s Iverson. “This is your final warning. I don’t want to see you bringing this up again.”_

_“Then tell me the truth! What are you hiding? What’s actually going on? Where is Shiro?”_

_“He’s right!” a girl cuts in. “The men on that crew were the most talented and qualified people who could have possibly been on that mission. Pilot error is a fucking ridiculous coverup.”_

_Lance finally has a view. Iverson jabs his finger at a short, skinny girl with auburn hair pulled to the side in a ponytail. “You need to learn to respect your authority, little girl,” he growls. “Don’t forget your place. This topic of conversation is closed. You’re causing a commotion, get back to wherever you’re supposed to be right now before I have to write you up.”_

_“You’re a filthy liar,” Keith growls, grabbing Iverson’s collar in his hands. There are scattered gasps as the crowd backs up a little bit. “There is more to this story and you’re not telling the truth. Who do you think you are?”_

_Iverson grabs Keith’s wrist and pries it roughly away. “That’s enough. You’ve always been a handful, Kogane, but you’re really pushing it right now. You’re a cadet, and you do what you’re told. If you want to waste my time, you’re not welcome. Don’t expect to get pity points just because your friends messed up the mission. This is a greater loss to the Garrison than it is to your feelings.”_

_Lance’s heart is thundering in his chest. Keith’s expression freezes and snaps - the air turns dangerous, and he’s throwing himself at Iverson. His fist is flying forward, upward, smashing into Iverson’s face, and there are shouts of fear, cheers, thundering drums behind Lance’s ribs. Keith has a _knife.__

_Security is on them in an instant. Keith’s being pulled away from Iverson, still fuming but not struggling - Iverson is covering half of his face with his massive palm. “Pack your things, Kogane,” Iverson growls. “I’ve had enough of you.”_

_Lance’s eyes trail after Keith as security escorts him through the crowd. Trail after him as Keith wrenches free and stalks off down the hallway, reaches up to his face - is he..?_

_“Bring my lunch to the dorm,” Lance mumbles to Hunk before shoving his way through the throng of students, chasing after Keith. “Sorry, Excuse me, Sorry, Sorry…”_

_-_

_“I’m not in the mood to speak to you,” is what Keith says when he opens the door and sees Lance. His face is still heated and red, eyes shining, hair messy - the effect isn’t lost on Lance. He wishes he could see Keith so uncomposed more often. But not like this._

_“Keith,” he says timidly. “If-... you know, if you, maybe, apologize, you won’t have to leave - where are you going to go? You’ve been here for god knows how long - why would you pull something like that??”_

_“I said I’m not in the mood to speak to you,” Keith growls at him, attempting to shut the door. Lance sticks his palm out and slams into it, forcing Keith to pause and look up at him again._

_“I’m trying to help! Look, you can talk to me, you can tell me what’s up - but Iverson’s just angry at you, but you won’t have to leave - don’t throw all that you have away!”_

_“Lance.” Keith’s eyes are steady, searing, unstoppable rage. Lance is helpless on the receiving end of a look like that. “I never,” measured words, “want to see you again.”_

_The door slams shut._

_Lance feels like crumbling mortar, crushed between brick and stone. It’s like Keith’s struck him down - he turns, eyebrows pinched in a tumult of repressed emotions. Back home there was this tree in his backyard, blackened and hollow - it was a favorite spot for hide and seek, because it had been struck by lightning when Lance was about four years old and the result was a contorted tortuous mess of death and ash._

_That’s how Lance feels._

_And Keith, lightning, energy, power - is gone just as fast and fierily as he came into Lance’s life._

_He stares at the closed door for a second. Then he forcefully shrugs his shoulders - okay. Fine. Cool. Keith doesn’t want him around - whatever, then._

* * *

Lance stands over Pidge, rifle ready, watching her work away at the device she’s rigged up to Lotor’s rift gate. Being here makes him uneasy. At the edge of reality - like if he plays his cards wrong, he’s going to mess up some critical balance, like the universe is weak here, creased, on its edge. Red can feel it too. Her anxiety impregnates his every thought.

“It concerns me that this gate has been kept open for so many centuries,” Allura says. “It would have had unpredictable effects on anyone who happened to get close.”

“This area is forbidden to Galra, and so deep within their territory, it’s unlikely anyone would have come through,” Hunk offers. “But I feel that too. This place gives me shivers.”

“There’s so much history here,” Coran says quietly. “This is where the rift creatures first entered our reality and threatened Daibazaal. This is where Honerva researched quintessence for decaphoebs. This is where Zarkon died… the first time.”

Lance frowns. He goes over to Allura, grabs her elbow and pulls her aside. “Allura…” he shifts, eyeing Shiro briefly. “Remember you said you think Honerva could have become corrupted with the exposure to quintessence? And that Haggar and Honerva may be the same person? Well…” Her eyes are on him. “If she was corrupted, how hard is it to believe that Lotor is corrupted as well? Because this whole thing gives me bad vibes.”  
Allura chews her lip. It’s cute. “I think you could be right,” she says quietly, to Lance’s surprise. “I’ve thought it myself a couple times, but I didn’t want to believe in it. And I still don’t want to rush into any conclusions.” She looks at him for a second longer. “We’d better keep an eye out.”

Lance frowns. “I just don’t want us falling into another Galra trap.”

She nods. “So far, we’re safe. We haven’t encountered the void creatures, and we haven’t faced any complications with quintessence.” Her eyes trail to Pidge’s screen, full of readings and charts. “Thank you, Lance,” she smiles softly.

“What do you think happened to the void creatures?” Shiro asks.

“Voltron defeated them ten thousand years ago,” Allura says.

Shiro frowns. “What are they, exactly?”

“We’re not sure,” Coran says. “They seem to thrive on quintessence, that’s all we can say for sure. They likely share one consciousness in order to be able to work with each other as well as they did when Voltron fought them.”

“What are you thinking about, Shiro?” Allura says.

“I think…” Shiro trails off. He frowns at Lotor’s gate, at Pidge’s readings. “They might not have really been defeated.”

* * *

_The air is silent, tense - the only sound is Iverson’s tinny voice over the speakers, counting down the seconds until liftoff._

_Three._

_Lance is gripping the railing, white-knuckled. His reflection stares back at him in the glass panels just inches away from his face, just barely visible against the bright blue sky outside. In the distance, the ship._

_Two._

_Keith’s on the balcony to Lance’s right. There’s another girl Lance has seen around a couple times, tumbling auburn hair, and a few higher-ranking officials who are allowed a better view. Lance knows Keith got to go up to the launchpad to say goodbye to Shiro. He aches, wishing he could have gotten that close._

_One._

_Everyone is holding their breath._

_“We have liftoff.”_

_And the roar is deafening - the entire observation deck erupts in cheering as the ship rises into the sky with a giant flash of light. The ground trembles with the roar of ignition. Lance whoops and lets Hunk sweep him up into his bone-crushing, soul-warming hug. He can’t describe the thrill that overtakes him - watching launches is always exhilarating, but this one is so much more than that. It’s the most important launch he’s ever seen live._

_Kerberos._

_The word is like a final challenge - the edge of their solar system. It’s the last unexplored area in the system._

_God, Lance can only dream of ever making it out that far._

_Out of the corner of his eye, he catches Keith’s hair - he’s making his way off the observation deck. Always moving, always rushing away from Lance, and Lance is always following after him, letting go of Hunk to weave through the mess of orange and grey uniform, sticking his arm in the elevator doors before they close. Keith looks up at him, surprised, as he slips inside and presses the close door button._

_Lance flashes him a smile. “Fancy seeing_ you _here.”_

_Keith’s face turns up at the edges as he laughs. “What do you want, Lance?”_

_“Me? I’m just here celebrating the launch of the Kerberos mission!” He shoots his arm through the air to pantomime the ship’s takeoff. “Man, it must be so exciting - I can’t wait until we get their first reports back from Kerberos.”_

_Keith grins. “Yeah. It’s… amazing.”_

_“You jealous you couldn’t be going?”_

_“Nope. I know Shiro’s more qualified than I am to be doing this. Besides, I’m just a cadet.”_

_“Number one, top of his class,” Lance teases. “You totally could have been on that. Then you could sneak me aboard too, and we could ditch the mission and go explore space together.”_

_“Yeah,” Keith snorts. “And run out of fuel and wind up stranded in space until we run out of air and die.”_

_“Aw, I’d never get us stranded in space,” Lance promises. “My flying is impeccable. Even better than yours, people just don’t pay attention.”_

_“Right.”_

_Lance tails after Keith as they head toward the dorms - Keith doesn’t make to stop him, so he figures there’s no harm. They finally pause when Keith opens his door and meets Lance’s gaze expectantly, probably waiting for him to leave._

_“You gonna invite me inside?” Lance teases. He adds in a wink just because Keith can be really_ really _thick sometimes - and it works because Keith’s eyes widen just a bit and his eyes shift around the hall nervously._

_“It’s messy,” is his lame response, and Lance snorts._

_“Come on, we just witnessed the launch of the biggest space mission in the history of our planet. Let’s have some fun.”_

_Keith nods, deciding to rise up to Lance’s teasing. “Hm. You want me to get my fake ID? We could go hit up the bars in town.”_

_“We can’t drink!” Lance shrills. “But I had something else in mind.” He leans closer because god, Keith, get the message already, hurry up. Keith studies him, something amused in his eyes, lips unmoving. The quiet breaks just seconds later with the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs._

_Keith steps aside and lets Lance in, closing the door hurriedly before whoever it is can come up and see them hanging out in the doorway. The sound of the door clicking settles something warm and solid in Lance’s stomach, because wow, wow he hasn’t been this close to Keith in months minus that time they went flying together, and wow he’s in Keith’s room and Keith is smiling at him and he’s genuinely_ happy. __

_Lance returns Keith’s soft expression and steps forward, hands reaching up to trail lightly over the sides of Keith’s face. Keith’s fingers spread across the small of his back like electricity, tingling and full of so much energy - his eyes are still on Lance, intense, so gorgeous, parsecs of fire and passion rounded into concentric purple rings._

_“Can I kiss you?” Lance asks, and Keith gives his response by leaning forward and pushing his lips against Lance’s, long-overdue but that much better. Lance manages to pull him toward Keith’s dorm chair, falling back into it so Keith has to kneel above him and lean down to continue._

_It’s a giggly mess they’re in, happy, floating, content - heart rising high with the ship off to Kerberos and Lance feels invincible._

__This is what it feels like to live like Keith, _he thinks._ This liveliness, the opportunity buzzing in the air, every breath charged with passion and the freedom to choose what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. _It’s pure intuition, vivacious and pleasant. Warm._

_Invincible._

* * *

The screen flashes once before Lotor’s face fills it up. Lance’s mouth twitches down at one corner - no matter how respectful or polite he is - Lance doesn’t like him. He just doesn’t. He’s arrogant - stubborn - a little like Keith, honestly, but - yeah, stopping that train of thought.

“We need to plan a mission to enter the rift,” Shiro announces.

“Allura, I trust we are prepared now to pierce the space between realities,” Lotor says.

“Yes,” Allura confirms. “It’s a pure quintessence field that separates one reality from the next. If we wish to harvest it, someone with a strong connection to quintessence will need to be there in order to navigate through the rift and access the space between realities.”

“That is what our fathers did ten thousand years ago,” Lotor confirms. “We need to act as fast as we can before the Galra empire crumbles again. I suggest we plan for sometime within the next movement.”

“We can wait a week before enacting this plan,” Shiro decides. “Pidge and Hunk are still running through the data we collected from our last visit to the gate. Before we go back, we need to make sure we fully understand the nature of this new territory.”

“I have an intuitive understanding, but I agree with Shiro,” Allura says. “We’ll wait for six quintents, at least. After that, I believe we will be informed enough to proceed with this plan.”

“Thank you,” Lotor says, smiling slightly. “This is how we will win over the remainder of the Galra empire and finally begin the new era of peace. No longer will the Galra seek to mine quintessence from entire civilizations just for their own energy.”

-

Lance catches Allura after the meeting. “Maybe we should check it out by ourselves before we head out with Lotor.”

She frowns. “We already did.”

“But I mean… maybe we should try to enter the space between realities without anyone else, just so we know that it’s possible. I don’t want to let Lotor send you in there when we don’t even know if it will be safe. We can take the Blue Lion. I’d feel better if I was there with you, and Blue will keep us safe.”

Allura watches him for a couple seconds, and then she nods. “You’re right. While Pidge and Hunk continue studying their data, we can look into it on our own. Let’s go tonight.”

-

It’s uneventful.

There’s a moment when Lance is on edge, when Allura’s face is pinched in concentration and he’s flying toward the glowing white nothingness - when it’s too bright to see, pure light searing into his skin as he puts his trust in Allura and continues forward.

But it’s uneventful. “We’re there,” Allura breathes, and Lance cracks his eyes open, looking around, terrified, expecting the void creatures Coran had warned them about, or explosions, another crazy reality, space… something.

Instead it’s white.

Blue is humming with energy. Every vein in his body feels alive, invigorated, prepared to vibrate out of his skin with power.

“This is what pure quintessence feels like,” she says quietly. Lance feels the same light-headed power he felt that one time they all entered Voltron’s headspace - like he’s beyond time, beyond space, somewhere where all physical things are meaningless because everything is just energy.

But nothing happens.

They make it back to the Castle unscathed.

Allura is quiet when they exit Blue, standing across from each other in the hangar. “Thank you, Lance,” she says finally.

“For what?”

“I had my doubts. But that… I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She looks up, and her eyes are shining.

He pulls up a smile for her. “Looks like you’re a true Altean alchemist,” he says.

She steps forward to embrace him. “This means we will continue with Lotor’s plan,” she says. “There’s nothing left to do. A week from today, we take another step toward universal peace.”

* * *

_Lance finally catches Keith in the hall outside of class time. After not having spoken to him all summer - even seeing that gaze meet his again is staggering. “Keith,” he breathes._

_It takes a second, and for a terrifying moment Lance thinks Keith’s forgotten him, that he’s meaningless all over again, that Keith never really cared about him because why would he remember Lance, the cargo pilot…_

_And then: “Lance?”_

_Lance grins. “Long time, no see, Mullet.”_

_Keith’s eyes flit around awkwardly. “Uh, yeah… sorry.” He winces. “I didn’t… I guess I’ve been. Busy.”_

_That hurts a little more than it should. Lance is faced again with the reality - that Keith is above him, ahead of him, always has been, and still is - still doesn’t have_ time _for Lance. But he smiles anyway. “You left me hanging, dude, we need to go flying together again.”_

_Keith sends him a hesitant smile. “Yeah, it’s been a while. We could go tonight.”_

_Lance winks. “See you there.” Stay cool. Stay suave. Stay in control._

_-_

_Keith is already there when Lance sneaks out to their usual spot in the hangars after curfew. He catches him by surprise, stunning smile hitting Lance straight in the chest when he rounds the corner to realize he’s not alone._

_“Wow, eager to see me,” Lance teases, crossing his arms to stare up at the dark-haired boy sitting atop the plane in front of him._

_Keith shakes his head, chuckling. “Like you said. Long time, no see.”_

_And Lance wants to cry. “I missed you, dumbass,” he whispers, climbing up into the pilot’s seat._

_Keith swings down to meet him. “Move over, I’m flying.”_

_“Funny joke.”_

_“Alright, then I’m leaving.”_

_Lance grabs Keith’s arm in a panic. “Don’t leave!”_

_Keith smirks softly. “Then I’m flying.”_

_Lance frowns, shifting over to the copilot’s seat. Keith grins in response. “Seatbelt,” Lance reminds him, pouting, as Keith starts up the plane._

_“Live a little,” Keith chides._

_Lance’s eyes widen, but then the plane is moving - he reaches across to grab Keith’s belt and buckle it himself because he’ll be damned if Keith gets him killed before Halloween. Keith snickers in response._

_It’s not long until they’re up over a thousand feet in the air, ship purring under Keith’s fingers as he slowly pushes it faster and higher. “What are you doing?” Lance shrieks._

_“Flying!” Keith shouts back, and then he lets loose - the wind is deafening around the cockpit, Stars glimmering, sand a blue blur as they pass over it. Lance looks over at Keith. Keith, with shining eyes, shining smile, radiant and fiery as the sun. The air is his realm, his world - where only his rules apply and everyone else can go to hell. And god, Lance missed this._

_“Keith,” he whispers in awe - it’s snatched away by the roaring of engine and wind, all around them, inside them, part of them. In this moment, they’re just motion and wind, riding the night and the stars, carving their own whims into the air, and the world is theirs for the taking._

* * *

Lance is part of voltron and Lotor and Allura are gathering quintessence - they finish and head back to Galra HQ. Lotor sets up supply routes of pure quintessence to those who pledge allegiance to him. Few weeks later - Lotor and Voltron meet and Lotor is pleased to announce how many more have pledged allegiance to the Galra empure and they can begin their quintessence replenishing missions to previously quintessence mining planets and start brining local populations up to positions of power. Ends with allura happy because finally… peace.

 

_Garrison again and lance is hyped about Hunk being his engineer when he catches Keith’s eye across the lunchroom everyone’s abuzz about the kerberos mission that’s set to launch in two months - fast forward to him waiting out at their usual spot in the hangar but Keith doesn’t show up_

 

A few months later there is another report of mass disease, famine, planets being wiped out, galra and other aliens alike. More opening of black holes, more rifts. Lance is worried. THere’s always something! Finally, universal peace, but now its liek the universe is PHYSICALLY falling apart. Ends when several alerts start popping up that many stars in the system they’re in are soon to go supernova. They wormhole out. Allura is disturbed.

 

_In the morning theres the graduate party and keith and lance kiss before not seeing each other over the summer_

 

They recieve an alert - more void creatures have entered near olkarion, which is now a quintessence transfer hub. Voltron doesn’t make it in time they fight, but eventually the planet is overrun and voltron blacks out. However when they awake the planet seems normal - damage is being repaired with quintessence-powered machinery but there seems to be no harm done…. Except the personality of most people on olkarion is different.

 

_Graduation - lance doesnt make the fighter pilot list and kinda disappears - no one can find him until keith does in the middle of the night in the hangar. hurt/comfort - they fall asleep in the hangar_

 

Months later lotor reaches out to allura because they will have to widen the quintessence mining program - there is an increasing need for quintessence, not just from galra but from olkarion and now starting to be more and more other planets and cultures. So allura does it but then she and lance talk it out later. And lance is like im still uneasy about that attack on olkarion from the void creatures.

 

_Lance runs into keith in the ship hangars once when he’s sneaking out and they end up going out flying together and there’s the thrill of not getting caught… later They talk to each other in morse code in class_

 

Another void creature attack - and another - and another - and an increasing need for quintessence. Lance figures it out he goes to allura nad he says allura we need to stop this quintessence mining - the more quintessence we mine the more void creatures we attack and the more the need for quintessence increases. Allura agrees and says i have to steer the castle from more and more natural catatstrophes every day. This universe is collapsing. They plan a mission with the blade of marmora to shut down the quintessence mining and close lotor’s gate forever. Behind lotor’s back

 

_Lance is partnered with keith for a thermodynamics assignment and he actually talks to keith for the first time, finds him kind of funny_

 

They launch the operation. Moment with lance watching keith on the screens again Void creatures attack. Lotor gets word of their actions and tries to confront them but his ship becomes overrun with void creatures. Allura tries to step out and use her alchemy magic to get into the void but she becomes overrun with void creatures - lance goes to help her, he’s fighting themoff with his sword alone, and then keith decides he knows what he has to do. He vanishes into the void. And then the void closes. And the universe stabilizes. And lance is screaming. But daibazaal is collapsing totally and shiro and allura say they have to go.

 

_Lance starts noticing keith outperforming him_

 

Ultimate revalation when lance is sitting with allura and allura is explaining what she could feel during that battle - what she felt from keith, a deep, ancient connection to quintessence. She says she believes the only way the universe could have been saved from collapse as it succumbed to quintessence would have been keith’s sacrifice. And thats why keith has to be alone because he’s the only one who can save reality in every reality - keiht is destined to be the reality’s propagator and that is why he is destined to be alone.

 

_First meeting - lance bumps into him at lunch and he’s like oh, sorry, keith, and keiths like - watch where you’re going and lance is like ok jeez_

 

They get a message from krolia - she found keith in the ruins of daibazaal. They reunite. keith is happy, and lance is in awe and he is like what did you do? And keith is like i can’t explain it. I was in… an aether of some sort. But the void creatures were there - or at least the intuition of it was, and i .. i forced it out. And there were so many other versions of me there - protecting their own realities. Then he smiles. But i dont care. Its over. Lance kisses him. Everyone hugs him. Lance asks him so now that you’ve done all your reality saving, dont ever leave without us again, because we’re your family kogane and there’s nothing you can do about it. Keith smiles. deal.

_Lance gets accepted to the garrison. He’s happy. “Imagine - mom, one day i could go to space!” he grins. “I’ll bring sure to take loads of pictures to show you when i come home.”_  
“Promise you’ll visit us!”  
“Every month.” 

 

Plot???

Keith is destined to always be alone because he is the only one who can save the universe in every reality and no one else can keep up with that. He’s… something _else_ and it’s why he has that relationship with quintessence.  
Alteans and galra are destined to clash and one side is always destined to win and take over the universe  
Void creatures will overtake the winning race  
The endless harvesting of quintessence will collapse the reality  
It has to be keith who stops this  
Only keith can match the intuitive strength of the void creatures  
In a space outside reality called the ether  
He’s born with a special relationship to quintessence - he can sense it, and he can interact with it easily, meld with it… become it.  
Two plotlines: garrison klance side by side with post season 5 klance

**Author's Note:**

> im sorry i gave up im too busy freaking out over season 6
> 
> if anyone actually likes this though i may write out the rest of it. just. not right now.


End file.
